Binding for books



July 12, 1966 w. M KOWEN 3,260,264

BINDING FOR BOOKS Filed March 15, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOQ WILLIAMM KOWEN July 12, 1966 w, McKOWEN 3,260,264

BINDING FOR BOOKS Filed March 15, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOQ WILLIAMM KOWEN United States Patent 3,260,264 BINDING FOR BOOKS WilliamMcKowen, Des Moines, Iowa, assignor to Mere- This invention relates to abinding for books of the type shown in my copending application SerialNo. 153,- 310, filed November 20, 1961, now abandoned, the presentapplication being a continuation-in-part thereof.

One object of the invention is to provide a binding for books which ismade of suitable plastic material such as polypropylene or polyallomerwherein a binding unit for books and the like comprises a spine, a pairof flanges along opposite sides thereof and binding posts extending fromone of the flanges toward the other and entering perforations of theother flange.

Another object is to provide the binding posts with heads and theperforations as well as the heads cooperatively shaped in cross sectionso that the heads can snap into the perforations under pressure duringthe assembly of the binding unit into a book, and the flanges willthereafter remain permanently connected.

Still another object is to provide a binding for books wherein theweight of the plastic is minimized, and the dimensions are kept smalland therefore neat in appearance yet a perforation of suflicient depthto create a good lock in cooperation with the head of the post is had.

A further object is to provide the post with a head that is smaller thanthe post to facilitate ready entry of the posts through perforations ofthe book, the posts having transition portions from the main body of thepost to the heads which are shaped or designed to facilitate proper andcomplete snap in of the heads relative to the perforations.

Still a further object is to provide a beveled edge around the outer endof the post, and the perforations with coneshaped entrance portionswhich cooperate to guide the post heads into the perforations during theassembling operation, and then a snap-back occurs to finally positionthe parts and create great holding power which eliminates post-holdingfailures.

An additional object is to provide a one-piece binding unit includinghinges, binding posts and locking means for the posts, which uniteliminates the necessity of adding any separate parts whatsover andaccordingly also eliminates the necessity of fastening such parts inposition during production, thus resulting in high production rates inthe binding of books.

With these and other objects in view, my invention consists in theconstruction, arrangement and combination of the various parts of mybinding for books, whereby the objects above contemplated are attained,as hereinafter more fully set forth, pointed out in my claims andillustrated in detail on the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective front view of a book with my binding appliedthereto;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of one corner of the book and'shows the back of the book;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged sectional view on the line 33 of FIG. 2 showingthe coaction of a head of a post with a perforation of an oppositeflange, the book and its binding being fully assembled in this figure;

FIG. 4 is a plan view of the binding unit in its initial shape;

FIG. 5 is a cross sectional view on the line 55 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a similar but diagrammatic view showing the perforation in oneflange being associated with a head of a post;

3,266,264 Patented July 12, 1966 FIG. 7 is a similar diagrammatic viewshowing the position of the parts as the head of the post is snappedinto a counterbored portion of the perforation under the action ofassembly pressure;

FIG. 8 is a similar diagrammatic view showing the position of the partsafter the snap-through action has been completed by the continuation ofassembly pressure, and

FIG. 9 is a similar diagrammatic view showing the position of the partswhen they spring back to normal position after the assembly pressure hasbeen removed.

On the accompanying drawings I have used the reference numeral 10 toindicate a spine and the reference numerals 12 and 14 to indicate a pairof flanges of my binding unit, 12 being a front flange and 14 a backflange. Binding posts 16 extend outwardly from the back flange 14. Thespine, flanges and binding posts are integral, being formed by moldingof plastic material such as polypropylene or polyallomer. The junctionsbetween the spine and the flanges are in the form of hinge grooves 26which provide thin sections 28' for hinging purposes and which can beflexed as shown in FIGS. 6, 7, 8 and 9 during assembly of the bindingunit to the book.

The binding posts 16 are provided with heads 18. Each head comprises acylindrical portion 20 having a beveled outer edge 22. The heads are ofless diameter than the posts so as to facilitate entry into perforationsof a book and are provided with shoulders 24 for a purpose which willhereinafter appear.

Each post has a transition portion 30 (see FIG. 5) comprising acylindrical portion 32 and a cone-shaped portion 34 whereby thetransition from full-post size to cylinder-portion (32) size isaccomplished in a manner which facilitates assembly as will alsohereinafter appear.

The opposite (back) flange 14 is provided with a perforation 36 for eachbinding post 16. Each perforation has a cone-shaped entrance portion 38and a counterbore portion 39 having a shoulder 40 formed between thetwo. The portion of the flange 14 having the perforations 36 is of extrathickness as shown at 15 beyond the general surface of the flange showndotted at 14 in FIG. 5.

The heads 18 are adapted to be snapped into the perforations 36 duringthe assembly of the book as shown in FIG. 3 wherein pages of the bookare shown at 42, page cover boards are shown at 44 and flexible coversare shown at 46. The pages, cover boards and covers are all perforatedfor the posts 16, and when the parts are assembled the flexible covers46 serve as hinges for the cover boards 44 in an obvious manner.

The snap-in operation of the heads of the posts with respect to theperforations of the binding unit presents several problems which aresolved by the cooperating shapes of the post parts 2022-243234, and theperforation parts 38, 39 and 40. As illustrated in FIG. 6, the bevelededge 22 facilitates entry of the head 18 into the perforation 36 byinitially coacting with the cone-shaped portion 38 of the perforation.It will be noted, the head 18 is larger than the small end of thecone-shaped portion 38 of the perforation thus requiring considerableforce to enter the head through the cone-shaped portion as shown in thehalf-way position of FIG. 7. Additional downward pressure as shown inFIG. 8, during assembly, will snap the heads through the cone-shapedportions of the perforations so that the heads enter the counterboreportions 39 thereof and finally when the pressure is released as in FIG.9, the flange 14 will spring up to the position shown with the shoulders24 engaging the shoulders 40 for completing the permanent binding of thebook. In this position, it will be noted, the heads are countersunk inthe counterbore portions 39 of the perforations so that they do notproject beyond the upper surface of the additional thickness and arethus protected from catching on extraneous objects.

From the foregoing specification it will be obvious that I have provideda binding unit with snap-in post and perforation mechanism integraltherewith and operable in a simple manner during the binding operationto effect such binding in a minimum of time requiring only the placementof the book on the binding posts, the folding of the binding striparound the back of the book and snapping the flange 14 onto the posts.There is nothing to add, no separate parts or the like, but merely bythe application of pressure the perforations are forced over the headsof the posts. This results in high production possibility in the bindingof books, and the finished product is a permanent binding which willwithstand much hard usage.

The use of polyallomer is preferable as it remains flexible attemperatures well below zero and wont crack or become brittle andfracture. The additional thickness 15 reinforces the perforations 36without the necessity of having the spine 1% and the flanges 12 and 14too thick to present a good appearance. Since the binding unit isentirely molded in a single piece and items molded of polypropylene andpolyallomers are capable of being molded to precise dimensions the unithas built-in tolerance assuring uniform bindings and consistent resultsfrom book to book.

While I have shown page cover boards 44 and flexible covers 46, thisunit of the book may be formed entirely of plastic material byComptrusion molding developed by Eastman Kodak Company of Rochester, NY.Such a molding has two cover members, the hinges and the back portionintegrally molded, the cover members being thick and the hinges and backportion thin. Obviously, such a molding can be substituted for thebuilt-up structure 44, 46 disclosed in the drawing (FIG. 3).

Some changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of theparts of my binding for books without departing from the real spirit andpurpose of my invention, and it is my intention to cover by my claimsany modified forms of structure or use of mechanical equivalents whichmay reasonably be included within their scope.

I claim as my invention:

1. A permanently bound book having a binding for the leaves thereofcomprising a spine, a pair of flanges along opposite sides thereof andsolid binding posts extending from one of said flanges toward the otherand having heads, said heads being of less diameter than said posts,said spine, flanges and binding posts being integral and formed ofplastic material taken from the group consisting of polypropylene andpolyallomer, the junctions between said flanges and spine being of thinsection to permit said flanges to be flexed relative to said spine, thethickness of said thin sections being entirely inside said spine andflanges whereby said spine and flanges provide a channel-shaped bindingelement having substantially square and slightly rounded outer edges,the other of said flanges having openings therein to receive said heads,said openings each comprising a completely circular coneshaped entranceportion and a counterbore portion beyond said cone-shaped entranceportion which forms a completely circular flat shoulder facingoutwardly, said heads being of greater diameter than the outer end ofsaid coneshaped entrance portions, and of lesser diameter than the innerend of said cone-shaped portion, said heads being aligned with saidinner ends when the flanges are brought together to permit forcing saidheads through said outer ends when connecting said other flange to saidbinding posts, said heads having completely circular inwardly facingfiat shoulders coacting with said counterbore shoulders to permanentlyretain said heads relative to said other flange upon reception of saidheads in said counterbore portions.

2. A book in accordance with claim 1 wherein said posts have cylindricalportions and tapered transition portions adjacent said shoulders of saidposts which are of greater length than said cone-shaped entranceportions to permit said other flange to be forced onto said postssufficiently so that said heads can be snapped into said counterboreportions during assembly whereupon said binding can then spring backwith said shoulders of said counterbore portions engaging said shouldersof said heads.

3. A book in accordance with claim 2 wherein said heads of said postshave cylindrical portions which terminate in beveled outer edgesinitially cooperable with said cone-shaped entrance portions of saidopenings in said other flange to guide said heads into said counterboreportions.

4. A book in accordance with claim 1 wherein said other flange isthickened around said counterbore portions and said heads are of lessthickness than the depth of said counterbore portions.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 937,191 10/1909Spence 12923 X 1,461,954 7/1923 Wigginton 129-8 1,561,638 11/1925Crowell 129-24 X 1,806,466 5/1931 Kernan 28125 1,876,419 9/1932Hutchings 129-23 2,841,848 7/1958 Smith 12923 X 2,878,815 3/1959Pluckebaum 129-23 2,940,199 6/1960 Goldberg 40-301 3,009,169 11/1961Bodner 231 X 3,019,486 2/1962 Stinson 28129 X FOREIGN PATENTS 55,6609/1921 Sweden.

JEROME SCHNALL, Primary Examiner.

1. A PERMANENTLY BOUND BOOK HAVING A BINDING FOR THE LEAVES THEREOFCOMPRISING A SPINE, A PAIR OF FLANGES ALONG OPPOSITE SIDES THEREOF ANDSOLID BINDING POSTS EXTENDING FROM ONE OF SAID FLANGES TOWARD THE OTHERAND HAVING HEADS, SAID HEADS BEING OF LESS DIAMETER THAN SAID POSTS,SAID SPINE, FLANGES AND BINDING POSTS BEING INTEGRAL AND FORMED OFPLASTIC MATERIAL TAKEN FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF POLYPROPYLENE ANDPOLYALLOMER, THE JUNCTIONS BETWEEN SAID FLANGES AND SPINE BEING OF THINSECTION TO PERMIT SAID FLANGES TO BE FLEXED RELATIVE TO SAID SPINE, THETHICKNESS OF SAID THIN SECTIONS BEING ENTIRELY INSIDE SAID SPINE ANDFLANGES WHEREBY SAID SPINE AND FLANGES PROVIDE A CHANNEL-SHAPED BINDINGELEMENT HAVING SUBSTANTIALLY SQUARE AND SLIGHTLY ROUNDED OUTER EDGES,THE OTHER OF SAID FLANGES HAVING OPENINGS THEREIN TO RECEIVE SAID HEADSSAID OPENING EACH COMPRISING A COMPLETELY CIRCULAR CONESHAPED ENTRANCEPORTION AND A COUNTERBORE PORTION BEYOND SAID CONE-SHAPED ENTRANCEPORTION WHICH FORMS A COMPLETELY CIRCULAR FLAT SHOULDER FACINGOUTWARDLY, SAID HEADS BEING OF GREATER DIAMETER THAN THE OUTER END OFSAID CONESHAPED ENTRANCE PORTIONS, AND OF LESSER DIAMETER THAN THE INNEREND OF SAID CONE-SHAPED PORTION, SAID HEADS BEING ALIGNED WITH SAIDINNER ENDS WHEN THE FLANGES ARE BROUGHT TOGETHER TO PERMIT FORCING SAIDHEADS THROUGH SIAD OUTER ENDS WHEN CONNECTING SAID OTHER FLANGES TO SAIDBINDING POSTS, SAID HEADS HAVING COMPLETELY CIRCULAR INWARDLY FACINGFLAT SHOULDERS COACTING WITH SAID COUNTERBORE SHOULDERS TO PERMANENTLYRETAIN SAID HEADS RELATIVE TO SAID OTHER FLANGE UPON RECEPTION OF SAIDHEADS IN SAID COUNTERBORE PORTIONS.